We don’t have Cubs games right now or even Cubs minor league games right now, and that is probably playing at least some role in me fawning over outfield prospect Nelson Velazquez whenever I get a chance.
The 22-year-old power hitter is currently playing in the Arizona Fall League, and just won’t stop hitting. He’s up to .392/.494/.743 on the season, with a league-best (by a mile) 1.238 OPS. And that’s before you factor in the two hits he already has today (including a double) as I type. The guy has gone from “no chance the Cubs need to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft” in May to “the Cubs may have to consider it” in August to “lol, put him on the 40-man RIGHT NOW.” It’s just been absurd.
The latest bit of love comes from Baseball America, where Josh Norris was out scouting the AFL, and Velazquez naturally caught his eye:
There’s no two ways about it: Nelson Velazquez has been one of the most impressive players in this year’s Arizona Fall League. The Cubs outfielder has showcased a swing that is shorter than in previous years and allows him to be on time to the ball while allowing the barrel to explode through the zone with plenty of authority. His seven home runs are the most in the league, the latest a rocket to left field off of Surprise righthander Alec Marsh. Perhaps even more impressive than his power, however, is the way Velazquez seems to command at-bats. Earlier in the week against Dodgers top pitching prospect Bobby Miller, Velazquez confidently took offspeed pitch after offspeed pitch without so much as flinching. Velazquez is commanding at-bats. Now, he also commands your attention.
And if you thought that cut from Velazquez was a one-off, friends, I am here to tell you it was not. Behold. https://t.co/Z0mHmUB4bK pic.twitter.com/keJcYgUBMZ
— Josh Norris (@jnorris427) November 8, 2021